Getting the swing of things

I have just begun my 10 day vacation. As if every day here isn't a vacation for me. Our first top was Cabarete. We are staying in a quaint villa just 10 miles out of town. A beautiful beach front is only 200 meters from our doorstep. It took us 10 minutes upon our arrival on Sunday to throw down our bags and run into the ocean. We had the place all to ourselves and we couldn't have been happier. Some handmade swing sets made an already perfect location even better.

Today we ventured out ready to explore. We woke up and caught the first gua gua we saw. Our game plan was to go to the monkey jungle. Gua guas can be tricky and they always try to charge us extra based on appearances. The Dominican is only 11% Caucasian so we stand out like nobody's business. After a gua gua, a taxi, and some serious walking we made it to our jungle. The view was incredible and the monkeys couldn't have been cuter. The whole establishment's funds go to an on site dental clinic for locals. This is the only clinic for many miles and it is completely free for dominicans and Haitians in need.  We paid for a tour of the jungle and got to meet some of the monkeys up close. They are all rescues from different situations. Monkey trade is a big problem here that I was unaware of. 

After our tour we snagged a ride town the mountain and headed for Cabarete. I enjoyed a fresh pineapple smoothie and watched the Kite Surfers glide along the beach front. After that my group and I made a quite trip to a local chocolate bar and enjoyed another treat. This is where all my knowledge from my chocolate science class comes in handy! 

I am now back at the Villa with some great memories, cute pictures and some VERY tired legs!